Apprenticeships point the way ahead in Lothian
Edinburgh College hosted an employer’s engagement event to advance their curriculum strategy around vocational and work based learning last week. Employers, partners, local councils and apprentices joined college leadership to put their heads together and share best practice.
The conference was designed to progress plans to offer more Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships to young people in 2016, and to build upon the recent submission of the Regional Invest in Young People bid to the Scottish Government. The bid, made by Lothian region stakeholders, has a strong focus on developing practical learning opportunities through collaboration with a wide range of employers.
The college is working in partnership with key stakeholders including schools, Skills Development Scotland, local employers, chambers and local councils to develop a curriculum that provides the workplace learning so vital to develop the competencies and vocational skills of young people.
Attendees on the day heard from a number of speakers including Jan Thomson, head of Business Development at the college, and representatives from Skills Development Scotland and Finmeccanica – Selex ES.
A spokesman for Finmeccanica – Selex ES said: “We have been in the apprenticeship business for years – it really is a long term investment in staff, for example one apprentice stayed with us for 50 years. The company currently has 52 apprentices in Edinburgh. With such a huge skills shortage we’re encouraging many more to join us in the future. These young people are our best ambassadors.”
Presentations were followed by a series of round table debates about key issues including high youth unemployment, industry recognised qualifications and improving the link between schools, colleges and industry.
Ray McCowan, Edinburgh College vice principal for Curriculum and Quality welcomed the event. He said: “We’re being asked to provide work ready graduates and that requires the college sector to find the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. These ongoing conversations are critical in order for employers to communicate where their skills gaps lie and to allow the college to align new initiatives with priority sectors.”
The first Pathfinder Foundation Apprenticeships are currently being delivered, with ambitious growth plans which will see the programmes be part of every school’s offer by 2020.
Modern Apprenticeships are also being developed over the next few years, with a target of 30,000 new Modern Apprenticeship starts per year by 2020/21. Foundation Apprenticeships are new programmes which give school pupils in S4 – S6 a head start into the world of work whilst developing Scotland’s workforce at an earlier stage in the education process. Modern and Foundation apprenticeships at Edinburgh College are set to be extended across sectors including ICT Digital, Financial Services and Engineering.
Dylan White, Regional Partnership and Delivery Manager at SDS Scotland said: “Foundation Apprenticeships are demanding programmes for pupils between S4 and S6, requiring two years of robust training, alongside school subjects. These are industry-led programmes, with a real value for employers and young people. They are available in a range of sectors, to match national skills needs and job opportunities.”
He added: “SDS can’t do this in isolation. The quality of our apprenticeships relies on the quality of our partnerships.”
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